Alpha Chapters

[queequek]

Theta Delta Chi, Alpha Charge was founded on October 31, 1847

[moe.ron]

Sigma Phi Epsilon - VA Alpha - University of Richmond

Founded 11/1/1901
Dormant 4/22/97
Re-Colonized 2/1/00
Re-Chartered 11/1/2001

[KSigkid]

Kappa Sig's first chapter, Zeta Chapter (at University of Virginia) is still up and running.

About the Tri Delt at BU situation - adduncan is right, Boston U. worked to rid campus of the Greek system, including selling all of the fraternity and sorority houses near campus to MIT. The greek system got back up and running in the 80s, with a group of chapters getting started (including Kappa Sig).

Collin

[Kevin]

Sigma Nu's Alpha Chapter was closed at VMI when the school did away with GLO's. Same goes for Alpha Tau Omega. They still have a few monuments on the school grounds that memorialize the founding of our organizations though.

We do have a program called "Alpha Affiliates" where outstanding seniors are inducted into Alpha Chapter at a rate of around 10 per year.

[DeltAlum]

Delta Tau Delta's situation is a little strange, because in the early days of the Fraternity, if the Alpha Chapter failed -- which ours did -- the next chapter to "govern" the Fraternity took the Alpha designation.

So, the original Alpha at Bethany College (then part of Virginia -- now West Virginia) is now called the Theta Founding Chapter. It was founded in 1858. The present Alpha is the third or fourth to have that designation and is located at Allegheny College (University?)

Both chapters are presently active, but both have been closed and recolonized in the past.

The longest continuously active, multi-member chapter is Beta Chapter at Ohio University (my chapter) which has been in continuous existance since 1862. I say multi-member because there is another chapter, a part of which was founded shortly before Beta, but had to resort to a final member transfering to another college and re-forming the chapter to survive.

The problem is exaserbated by the fact that many of the original records of the Fraternity were lost when one of the early Alpha's failed during the turbulent Civil War period when many groups closed because all of the members went off to the Army. Had it not been for Beta and a couple of other similar cases, Delt might have disappeared during that period.

Confused? Welcome to the club.

ETA: Do you suppose making pledges learn this stuff when it's so confusing really is hazing?

Just kidding.

[KillarneyRose]

Originally posted by DeltAlum
The present Alpha is the third or fourth to have that designation and is located at Allegheny College (University?)

Are you talking about the school in Meadville, PA? If so, it's Allegheny College

[DeltAlum]

Originally posted by KillarneyRose
Are you talking about the school in Meadville, PA? If so, it's Allegheny College

Yeah, I think so and that's what I thought. Thanks.

[EEKappa]

Originally posted by exlurker

"In the latter part of the 1960s, the climate for fraternities at Boston deteriorated steadily. Declining numbers of rushees, apathy, and fewer members all contributed to the discouragement. In the fall of 1970, when Alpha Phi and Kappa Kappa Gamma closed their Boston chapters, Alpha Chapter, with only seven members returning to school, decided to ask the Executive Board to withdraw its charter too."

Alpha was reinstalled in 1984. [/B]

Thanks for the info! I'd always wondered what happened to our Phi Chapter at BU, since it's in my Province.

[ISUKappa]

Originally posted by breathesgelatin
As sherbertlemons mentioned, Monmouth College in Monmouth Illinois banned secret organizations for a period of time, closing both the founding chapters of Kappa and Pi Phi. Today, both Kappa's Alpha Deuteron and Pi Beta Phi's Illinois Alpha chapter are alive and well! I believe there is a GCer from Illinois Alpha as well... I believe the chapters were recolonized sometime in the 20s or 30s... At least Pi Phi's was..

I'm pretty sure Kappa's was, too. I remember reading about it in our History 2000 book. The longest continuously open chapter is Delta, Indiana University, since 1872. That's still pretty good!

[ADPiAkron]

Our Alpha, Beta. and Gamma chapters are closed because the three schools where they were located no longer have Greek Life. So our oldest chapter that is still open is the Delta Chapter at The University of Texas in Austin, TX.

[krystle]

The Alpha chapter of Kappa Delta Phi is still up and running at Bridgewater State College. They've had a few problems with numbers in the past, but this spring should prove a positive rush semester for them

[Ndigayenza]

I know that since Hermandad de Sigma Iota Alpha, Inc. was founded, our Alpha Chapter has been running strong at SUNY Albany

[aephi alum]

Originally posted by AEPhiSierra
Our Gamma chapter is Columbia so I am guessing a Columbia Chapter would be Gamma. Yeah, Barnard is a part of Columbia but they keep a pretty distinct identity.

The Gamma chapter was Columbia University's Teachers College - so given Columbia and Barnard's close relationship, you could make a case for a chapter at Columbia being designated Alpha rather than Gamma. I'm not holding my breath though

<hijack>

Originally posted by KSigkid
About the Tri Delt at BU situation - adduncan is right, Boston U. worked to rid campus of the Greek system, including selling all of the fraternity and sorority houses near campus to MIT. The greek system got back up and running in the 80s, with a group of chapters getting started (including Kappa Sig).

True. I wonder how many GLOs that have come back to BU have been successful in securing new housing? The sororities at MIT have been looking for housing for around a decade now, and it's been an uphill battle (only 3 out of 5 sororities have obtained houses - all, interestingly enough, in Kenmore Square...)

</hijack>

[adduncan]

Originally posted by aephi alum
True. I wonder how many GLOs that have come back to BU have been successful in securing new housing? The sororities at MIT have been looking for housing for around a decade now, and it's been an uphill battle (only 3 out of 5 sororities have obtained houses - all, interestingly enough, in Kenmore Square...)
[/B]

Easy. Zero.

You see, when BU threw BU Greeks off campus, they weren't concerned about Greek life in general. It was a punitive measure against BU groups. Those same houses were sold to MIT greeks, who are there today, for the most part. (My old "dorm" on Bay State Road was LXA's first house!)

You might have a group of women living together from the same sorority, but it ain't the same.

BU has a lot of building going on in student housing, and are good about "specialty" housing for special interests (Limited Parietal house, Environmental Awareness house, field-of-study floors/houses, etc) They *could* arrange for Greek housing on campus - it just might ease the tensions w/ Allston/Brighton regarding students living off campus. But they are choosing not to take that (obvious, IMHO) route.

Adrienne
(Oh yeah, go ahead, BU. ASK me for a donation....... try it......)

[suntzu1963]

The Awesome Alpha Chapter of Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. is still very active. Please feel free to visit their website: http://www.alphachapteriotas.com/